Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, meaning that your body doesn’t store it. You have to get what you need from food, including citrus fruits, broccoli, and tomatoes.

You need vitamin C for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body. It helps the body make collagen, an important protein used to make skin, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels. Vitamin C is needed for healing wounds, and for repairing and maintaining bones and teeth. It also helps the body absorb iron from non-heme sources.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant, along with vitamin E, beta-carotene, and many other plant-based nutrients. Antioxidants block some of the damage caused by free radicals, substances that damage DNA. The build up of free radicals over time may contribute to the aging process and the development of health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and arthritis.

Vitamin C plays a role in protecting against the following: Heart disease, high blood pressure, the common cold, cancer (skin, cervical, breast), osteoarthritis, macular degeneration, preeclampsia and asthma.

Although the information is limited, studies suggest that vitamin C may also be helpful for:

Boosting immunity

Maintaining healthy gums

Improving vision for those with uveitis (an inflammation of the middle part of the eye)